The Princess of High School
by EventuallyCiCi
Summary: High School for Ino Yamanaka was nothing if not perfect...until it wasn't. What happens when Ino's kingdom comes crashing down around her? Who will be her Knight in shining armor? Is she even worthy of saving? InoXShika, Slight ShikaXTema InoXSasuke, SasukeXSakura and various other couples! I do not own Naruto or any of these characters! This is my first fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

_**SLAP**_

The sound echoed throughout the now quiet cafeteria.

All eyes settled in on Konah High's so called "power" couple.

The boy staggered back clutching his cheek. His ink black eyes catching a venomous glint as he glared at the petite blonde across from him. The black and gold top and skirt of their high school cheer-leading uniform clung tightly to her curves, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her hair, of course, was up in her signature high ponytail accentuated with a golden bow. She watched as his face contorted from shock to anger as he looked around realizing that they had an audience. Her blue eyes never wavered from his as she stalked towards him. She got up on her tiptoes and her lips grazed his wounded cheek as she brought them up to his ear. "I'm breaking up with you," she whispered hotly..

Her hands were holding on to his black letter-man jacket collar for support. She stepped back from him and patted his cheek, giving him a perfect smile. The raven-haired boy glared down at her but the rest of his features gave away nothing. With his jaw clenching and un-clenching, he let out a breath that he had no idea he had been holding as he grabbed her wrist and carefully took her hands off his jacket. "Have you lost your mind?" His voice was barely a whisper escaping through gritted teeth. "We aren't doing this here," he said looking around the cafeteria. "And we both know you aren't leaving me." With that he bent down and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, straightened his jacket, turned on his heel and marched out of the cafeteria.

Ino stood in the middle of the cafeteria, her shoulders began to shake as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She wanted to collapse on the floor and let out a sob that had been bubbling inside her since she saw him last night. She heard a quiet chuckle behind her and her eyes snapped back into focus. She took in the image of the crowded cafeteria. All eyes on her. And then she did what she had been wanting to do since her father dropped her off this morning at the front courtyard. She ran.

Her white sneakers squeaked softly as she burst through the cafeteria doors. Her vision blurring as the tears she had been choking back released themselves relentlessly. Images flooding back of last night; Sasuke her boyfriend of 3 years, outside the gymnasium. The boy she thought she was going to marry, the boy she had picked colleges to attend with, the one she had conquered and claimed as her own. The boy she had trusted. Outside, pinning her best friend up against the gym wall, fist wrapped up in her _hideous_ pink hair. His mouth seemed to be glued to her neck. Her head was thrown back in the night air, lewd noises spilling from her lips. In the shadowed area Ino could not tell where he started, and Sakura ended. Their bodies seemingly molded together.

_**CRASH**_

Ino staggered back from the impact wiping her eyes to no avail. It was as if a dam had broken inside her. She looked up to see her attacker locking on to a pair of brown eyes. They were the most beautiful chocolate brown. She knew these eyes.

"Hey Ino, what's going on? Are you okay?" His typically calm and uninterested aura seemed to disperse. She flinched slightly as he laid has hands on her shoulders to anchor her, but did not push him away. He peered into her eyes, as if searching for something. "Are you okay?" he repeated. The smell of his cologne wafted into her with a slight hint of nicotine. "I-I-I'm fine" she mumbled, breaking his gaze and stepping out from under his touch.

Shikamaru Nara, her childhood companion stepped back as well. A ragged breath escaping his mouth as he bent down to pick up his books that were now strewn across the hallway floor. It was then that she realized that he had not appeared out of thin air and in her emotional state she had hit him as he was exiting the library. Ino's tears had stopped and she could feel her face heating up in embarrassment. She quickly bent down to help him as well. "I'm sorry!" she blurted out collecting his Advanced Calculus and AP English book from off the floor. "I'm so sorry, I am such a ditz. I can't believe I didn't see you there." She let out a laugh that sounded far too forced and got back up brushing the imaginary dirt off the books before handing them back to him. He said nothing and she could see the irritation seeping into his features, his eyebrows were knitted together and his signature scowl had returned.

At a quick glance Ino could tell that this is not the little boy she used to tease in the sand box. Though they used to be the same height in middle school, he was now a good foot taller than her. He had a lean build, bordering on athletic but she was fairly certain that he didn't play sports. He was wearing a forest green t-shirt that complimented his olive complexion. The shirt was really working for him, pulling tautly at his muscles underneath. He was handsome, aside from the stupid ponytail he had at the top of his head. She could not deny that he was in fact growing up to be a damned good looking man.

_God. I want to die. Stop staring at him you idiot._ Her face was heating up, she probably looked like a raccoon from all the crying she had done. It had been years since she had a conversation with the boy and this his how he sees her? He was staring at her looking rather perplexed. Now it was her turn to frown. "Hey! Shika, I said I was sorry. Now can you stop looking at me like I'm some kind of alien." Trying to exude what little power she had left, she placed her perfectly manicured hand on her hip and glared at him.

The alien remark had taken him aback. _Alien? Is that what she thinks? Not even close Yamanaka._ What he was truly thinking was how after all this time, after all the pain she had unknowingly caused him, after all the sleepless nights he had spent thinking about her, that now, even with her tear streaked face and puffy red eyes. She was still beautiful.

He didn't know why or what had come over him. He wasn't sure if it was his 12-year-old self-whispering in his ear or the pained look on her face, but the next words just came spilling from his mouth.

"Do you wanna get out of here?"

Ino, to say the least, was taken by surprise by this invitation. Shikamaru Nara? Head of the class? The boy who got straight A's in school, the boy with perfect attendance, and in class participation (even if he slept through all of them), had just asked her to ditch school. She glanced down at her silver watch and it read 12:48. They had approximately 12 minutes left of lunch. The last thing she wanted to do was go and sit next to Sakura in their Environmental Science class. She didn't think she could handle that. Not after…not after yesterday…

"I would love nothing more," she smiled back at him. Securing her backpack straps as she turned abruptly on her heel turning towards the direction of the gym. Her ponytail swayed from side to side as the boy fell in step with her.

The blonde was no stranger to skipping school. She and Sasuke had ditched plenty of times. Her boyfriendㅡ _ex-boyfriend_ㅡ would give her this flirtatious smirk and arch an eyebrow while holding up his car keys. She would ask to go to the restroom, wait outside the classroom door and religiously he had always followed shortly after. They would race to his red and black Porsche parked outside in the back-parking lot of the school nearest to the gymnasium so they could go to his house and fool around for a bit, before coming back for practice and splitting their separate ways. Sasuke was captain of the soccer team and he took it very seriously, he was damn good at it too. Ino was head cheerleader and she couldn't care less about it, but she was dating the hottest guy in school and to maintain her dominance and popularity status she stuck with it. And above all else, it kept her out of the house. Just the thought of her cheating once seemingly flawless boyfriend now made her stomach clench.

Shikamaru's mind was racing. _What do I do? What have I done? Why did I say that?_ echoed inside his head as the exited the back door of the school out into the parking lot. The sun was shining brightly above the pair and the smell of fresh cut grass lingered in the April air. Ino stopped walking and looked at him expectantly, the sun light making her ocean blue eyes twinkle.

"So…" she drawled "where are you parked?" His eyes flitted over to his green 1995 Chevy Silverado and he grimaced.

"Well it's definitely not what you're used to riding in princess," he muttered as he fished his keys out of the front pocket of his dark wash jeans. Once in his hand he began walking towards the car hitting the "unlock" button. "Isn't this your dad's truck?" Ino asked, following close behind him as he weaved through the rows of parked cars. She vividly remembered his dad picking him up from middle school in this truck as they waited out front. He would come rolling up and honking the horn much to Shikamaru's annoyance. Ino always envied the fact that his dad was always on time to get him, and he always had this huge smile on his face when he saw the young Nara boy. He and his dad were practically twins, aside from the older man's facial hair.

Shikamaru opened the passenger side door for her and leaned up against the frame as the girl climbed in. "It was his truck," he said shutting the door behind her. She watched him through the windshield as he crossed around the front and into the driver seat. He leaned over the steering wheel, trying to get the engine to turn over as he twisted the key. "My dad died about a year ago…so I guess you could say it's mine now." He spoke these words as nonchalantly as possible and let out a sigh of relief as the hum of the engine began to shake the car. He quickly put the car in reverse putting his arm around the back of her head rest glancing over his shoulder. As they eased out of the parking lot an uncomfortable silence filled the car.

"I'm sorry about your dad Shika." Her voice came out shaky as she folded her hands in her lap suddenly aware of the fact that she just jumped into the car of basically a perfect stranger. "I had no idea…I can't imagine how hard that was for you." Ino didn't know why she felt guilty but she did. _How had she not known that?_ He used to be her friend… she bit her lip nervously and glanced out the window. "If I had..."

He cut her off abruptly "Why _would _you know that Ino? I haven't spoken to you since freshman year." His voice laced with annoyance and his eyes never left the road. "You knowing about it wouldn't have changed anything so spare me the hypotheticals." To indicate that the conversation was over he promptly turned the dial of the radio up and the chorus to some Nickelback song Ino was sure she had heard before filled the car.

She caught a glance of herself in the rearview mirror and almost screamed. She quickly dug into her backpack for her trusty compact which she found safely zipped away in her front pouch, and upon rooting around further she found some makeup remover wipes as well. She began wiping the black streaks from under her eyes furiously, annoyed that she allowed herself to be so overcome by her emotions. She hadn't expected him to be so harsh, but she didn't blame him. After all it was her fault their relationship had turned so cold...


	2. Warrior Princess

_**Silence**_

Shikamaru cast a bemused glance at the breathtaking blond in his passenger seat. He couldn't help himself from shaking his had at the way as she was fixing her makeup. It took everything in him not to laugh at her vigorous wiping of her face. He had no idea what had happened to the girl that made her not only agree to leave with him, but had obviously hurt her so bad she had cried publicly. Growing up she had always been so head strong. She didn't allow things to get to her..._well most things _he thought. "So…" He began awkwardly obviously trying to lighten the mood after his harsh comment. "Are you hungry?" He shifted in his seat looking a bit uncomfortable and returned his eyes to the road. Ino stared at him for a moment before nodding her head, "Yes, I supposed I could eat." Her head had started to throb lightly and she couldn't tell if it was from all the stupid crying she had been doing or if it was because her last meal was yesterday and it had been far from filling. "I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday actually and I could barely keep that down." She ended the sentence quietly as thoughts of her boyfriend tangled up with that traitor flashed in her head. Her stomach began churning at the image. _Stop it. Breathe. It's fine._

He smiled at her. "I was actually pretty certain that you didn't eat at all. I'm glad it's not windy out or you could literally fly away." He laughed lightly and pulled his car into the nearly empty parking lot of the local diner.

Ino frowned at the statement, it wasn't the first time that a comment like that had been cast her way. "_You're too skinny" "A man doesn't want a bone Ino, they need something to hold onto" "When was the last time you ate?" _She hated family gatherings for that reason. They didn't understand her eating habits and mocked her for it often. She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, "Yeah _well..._" Her voice turned venomous. "You don't get on _top_ of the pyramid by eating pizza and cheesesteaks." Ino looked like she wanted to say something else but held her tongue.

Contrary to popular belief, dating Sasuke wasn't always great. In the beginning she would see the way he would look at her plate whenever they sat down for lunch. Judgement etched into his face as he looked at her pizza and chips. "_Are you seriously going to eat that babe? Do you know how unhealthy that shit is? You're a cheerleader for christs sakes..."_ She got plenty of comments from him before she changed her diet to strictly an apple and yogurt for breakfast and for lunch salad paired with water. When she was home she did her best to eat light and portion her meals.

It always irritated her the way Sasuke would talk about other girls, it was like he made it a point to critique them in front of her so she knew what not to do. He made fun of them, girls Ino didn't think were unattractive and definitely didn't deserve the comments he made towards them but nonetheless she laughed alongside him. She had done everything he asked of her, changed her diet, never cut her hair, joined the fucking cheerleading squad, what more did he want from her? She didn't even apply to the college she had dreamed of because he said that the commute would be to hard and he didn't want to. When he talked about things he liked she listened and adjusted so that she never allowed herself to be the brunt of his jokes. She was perfect for him...she loved him...she thought…

"Hey, I meant it as a joke...please stop looking like I killed your cat." Ino lurched back into the present to find Shikamaru standing near the door rubbing his hand behind his neck. He held the door open for her and she walked in first giving him a small smile and a soft thank you. She hadn't even realized she was spiraling into her own little black hole. "I mean I guess I will forgive you, but only if you're paying." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked up at him expectantly.

"Well I mean this place is nothing but a glorified Denny's," he said smirking. "Annnd I'm pretty sure I can afford your rabbit food and free water." He laughed leading the way to the nearest open booth. "How do you know what I eat? Stalker much?" Ino was genuinely surprised he had been paying attention to her, but she didn't let it show.

He slid in across from her ignoring her comment and grabbed a menu from the side of the table and held in a way that blocked his face from her sight. "Plus I get an employee discount," he mumbled quietly.

"I'm sorry, you what?" Ino grabbed his wrist and pulled it down so that she could see his now red tinted face. He was purposefully avoiding her gaze. "You work here?" Her eyes glinting with something akin to curiosity.

Leaning back, he shrugged. "I work here so what?"

Ino finally took in the diner around her; the walls were a light pink color that reminded her of pepto bismol with white trimming, and the tables were all an electric blue. There was a blond haired girl in a blue in pink striped uniform pouring coffee for a gentlemen a few tables over and a old looking jukebox tucked in the corner between the glass case counter filled with display pies and a big red neon sign that said RESTROOMS. "It's a cute place...ya know I haven't been here since I was a little kid..." She remembered walking here with her mom after school and sharing strawberry milkshakes. It hadn't been often but enough for it to make her smile, her mom loved this place. She always said that it had character and told her stories of how her and dad fell in love. That was a long time ago though and things have changed.

"So...do you pull off the stripes as well as she does over there? Not everybody can you know?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes and began to open his mouth, but Ino smiled warmly and cut him off before he could reply. "I'm actually more shocked at the fact you're top of the class and have a job too and since you're in school all day I know that means you have to work the night shift right?"

"Yeah I do but it's not a big deal or anything." Shikamaru didn't like to brag but it was actually hard as hell and he hated it but since his dad passed away he had to help his mom pay bills. "So anyway, order what you want. I promise that I won't judge you." He said looking down at the menu looking uninterested. He was always so calm and unbothered and it was often the cause of their fights when they were younger.

"It is a big deal Shika, working and going to school. It's a big deal. You should take pride in it." Ino sounded as if she was almost pleading him to understand his worth. He knew she was trying to be nice but it didn't sit well with him. "No, it's called life princess. I'm just doing what I have to do. Not everyone can afford college you know? Like us normal guys."

_Princess. _She stiffened at the word it was something he used to call her when they were kids. Mostly because she had forced him to play dress up with her and would pout profusely until he agreed to play her game of fantasy; of a land where she was a queen and he was he loyal knight. She would make a crown out of flowers and command him to do her bidding and he would un-enthusiastically comply toting his wooden sword. Then one day when she suggested to play, he looked her dead in the eyes and said the most horrendous thing. "_You're too young to be a queen Ino, you have to be a princess."_ Apparently he had watched some old movie with his dad and come to the conclusion that in her make believe kingdom she had to be a princess. A princess? A PRINCESS? In her young age he may as well have stepped on her heart. Now this had royally pissed her off, all pun intended. So she did what any girl her age would do and she ran to his dad. She cried to his father and told him how awful Shikamaru was being, how he wouldn't play with her and he wasn't being nice. She could still remember the way Shikamaru's dad looked at her biting his lip to stop himself from laughing at the ridiculousness the girl was spouting, and she could still remember his large firm hand on her shoulder. "Listen Ino, it's better to be a princess. All the best fairytales begin with one." He smiled at her kindly before adding, "besides what's that one with girl and the tea party you like so much?" Ino had stopped crying at that point and whispered, "Alice in Wonderland." He nodded at that and placed a finger to his chin, tapping lightly against it. "Ah, yes that's right...isn't the queen bad in that one? You're not a bad guy are you?" Ino shook her head quickly.

"I didn't think so but you know what else Ino, princesses don't just wear pretty dresses and tell people what to do." Ino used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes and stared up at him. Her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Have you ever heard of a warrior princess?" Ino shook her head slowly at that, "No sir... I haven't." she replied. Shikaku Nara cast a glance over at his boy who was now bending down on his knees, drawing in the dirt with his wooden sword. Shikamaru was looking at the ground with a dejected look on his face. He knew that Shikamaru hadn't meant to hurt the girl's feelings, he was just telling her because he thought she should know.

The boy still had much to learn about girls. Shikaku smiled to himself. _He'll get there_. "Well Ino," he continued loud enough to catch his son's attention. "Warrior princesses get to leave the castle and go on really fun adventure _with_ the knights." Shikamaru's ears perked up at the comment and he stood up slowly listening intently to his father's words. Ino stared at him in shock, "WOW REALLY?" Her excitement was visible as she practically begged him to go on. "What else do they do!?" Shikaku grinned at the girl and clapped his hand on her shoulder. "Some of them can even use magic! They don't even need swords to fight! Isn't that cool?"

"Yeah it is!" Both kids shouted with excitement. Ino was practically jumping. Shikamaru couldn't help but staring at seeing her smiling face. It was at that moment that Shikamaru hugged Ino tightly and whispered in her ear, "See Ino being a princess is way cooler." Shikaku let out the laugh he had been holding in and then turned towards the kids. He glanced down at his watch realizing he had time to kill. "Uh oh, it looks like you have a new monster on your hands!" he said in a loud bellowing voice, his face contorting and he threw his hands up in the air wildly. "IT'S ME AND YOU BETTER RUN!".

The two squealed with excitement and took off in the direction of the backyard. Then Shikamaru did something that surprised the old man. He stopped and turned around facing his father head on his body squared and sword raised. "Don't worry princess, I'll protect you no matter what!" Shikamaru looked determined and Ino laughed behind him but moved over so that they were side by side. She grinned widely and bumped her shoulder against his. "_I don't need you to save me now Shika, I can do it myself"..._

Ino blinked slowly and looked up at the now grown man in front of her. He was leaning against the table, lazily resting his head in his right hand. His eyebrow arched in a way that suggested he knew why she was pausing, but his face held little emotion.


End file.
